Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-06-03
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Written and compiled for the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, May 80, 'S7.

closed on Saturday, but the En-
campment does not break up until
this evening, and no one but the
Judges knows as yet who will bear
away the trophies, except in one in
stance, where a private of the San
Antonio Rifles won the first prize
given to individual contestants OF
the infantry drill.
The judges of the Drill, who are
experienced army officers selected
by General Sheridan, at the request
of the managing committee, on &C.
count of their fitness for the task,
made up their findings yesterday
and handed them over to the Drill
committee in sealed ENVELOPES
THIS morning they were given TO
Gen. Sheridan, who will open them
at three o'clock this afternoon on a
stand in the Drill ground in pres
ence of all the troops, and present
them to the successful competitors
of course there will be some dis
appointments, but the Judges have
had a very difficult and delicate du-
ty to perform. The militia orgahl-
cations which participated in this
competition are among the best IN
the country, and where many are
excellent the task Of deciding be-
tween is very hard. Where one
was perfect another was defective,
and vice versa. OF one thing the
soldiers may be quite certain, and
that is that the judges will not rate
them as did the audience always,
for errors OF the manual, which
were invisible from the grand
stand. we're from the Judges stand
point. gross mistakes, and their de-
cisions will have 10 be accepted
without question.
In the gossip of the camp the
prizes have been distributed among
| the Toledo Cadets, the Lomax
Rifles. of Mobile, the two San An
tonic companies, the st. Paul COM
panies, the Muscatine Rifles, OF
Iowa. the Louisiana Rifles, the
Vicksburg Soutblons, and two
Washington companies. Each has
warm partisan admirers, who ex-
pect one of the higher infantry
prizes for their favOrite organiza-
ton. and one hears extolled the
merit of this company and criticism
of the performances Of all the others
on every hand. Undoubtedly there
were technical faults in the ma
neuvers of the most accomplished
companies which were not discerna-
BILE to the public, but as l mention
ed before, no one knows, at this
writing, the judges decisions, and
as you will know the result, prooa'
bly,, before you read this letter, any
forecast of the awards would be
useless.
Altogether the visiting military
have had a delightful week, and il
is safe to say the Drill has been one
of the most successful ever held IN
= this country. There have been VI
clssitudes in the weather, to be
sure, but naturally these are the
Accomplishments of camp life. Rain
as we'll as sunshine, cold as well as
heat, winds and thunder and light
ming we're all necessary to give ser
vice in the field its proper relish
The cyclone that swept over the
tented city was little more than
the soldiers or the managers of the
Drill had expected, but the latter
saw the Drill will not be financial
failure, although they were greatly
damaged by the storms.
Yesterday was Sunday, and, ac-
, cording to agreement, Rev. 1. De
Witt Talmage preached at the
Drill ground from little awning
, canopied pavilion in front OF the
grand stand. But TO my surprise
at first, the military, all except a
few hundred, we're conspicuous by
their absence. Do not imagine that
Mr.. Talmage fell short of an au'
dience in consequence. He was
} greeted by a congregation of fifteen
thousand strong. About seven
thousand five hundred people paid
a quarter to get inside the enclos'
ure and sit or stand anywhere with
| in sound Of his voice, and fully as
many more paid fifty cents for a
; chair on the grand stand.
; While the sermon was in pro
gress the soldiers were over at the
camp ground fixing up for the dress
parade which was to take place al
f its close. In due time they march
, ed into the Drill ground to the mu
sic of their different bands, and dur
ing the whole week more effective
3 scene was not witnessed than this
] last dress parade. The troops were
} massed IN battaliOns across the en-
= tire greensward, and very skillful
" placed as regarded their vari-col
, ored uniforms. Many of the uni
, forms were striking, others brilliant
7 and even gorgeous, and all contrast
I ed we'll with the prevailing green o.
the parade green. The Marine
, Band of forty men in bright red
, coats, white helmets and white
70 pants furnished the martial nusit
; and marched from one end to thI